Filler valve



Dec. R6, w52 G. l.. N. MEYER FILLER VALVE 2 SHEETS- SHEET l Filed March24, 1949 llllrl/l/ INVENTOR.

Dec. 16, 1952 G. L. N. MEYER FILLER VALVE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed March24, 1949 Patented Dec. 16, 1952 FILLER VALVE George L. N. Meyer,Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Geo. J. Meyer Manufacturing Company,

Cudahy, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application March 24, 1949,Serial No. 83,261

6 Claims.

This invention relates to ller valves and more particularly to a fillervalve adapted to supply bottles or the like with liquids containingparticles of solid matter.

Some trouble has been experienced in iilling bottles on machinesemploying valves with screens to stop the flow of liquid uponequalization of pressure above and below the valve due to the pulpclogging the screen and either impeding or completely stopping the ow ofthe liquid.

It is an object of the present invention to pro-v vide acounter-pressure ller valve which will not become clogged when used onlling machines filling pulp drinks.

Another object is to provide a suitable counterpressure ller valve foruse with pulp drinks or other liquids containing solid particles.

A further object is to provide a counter-pressure ller valve which willbe less subject to clogging than those now in use. i'

A further object is to provide a counter-pressure filler valve for pulpdrinks or the like which will stop the ow of beverages when thepressures are equalized above and below the valve.

Still further objects will become apparent upon considering thefollowing specification which when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings illustrate a preferred form of the invention,together With a modification thereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a vertical cross-sectional view thru a ller valve showing theimproved valve element.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-section similar to Fig. 1 but showing theliquid valve element.

Fig. 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the liquid valve element,and is a cross-section taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. l.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are views similar to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 respectively, butshowing a modified form of the invention.

Referring to the drawings and more particularly to the form of theinvention shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3, the lling machine comprises aiiller bowl Ii) adapted to rotate about an aXis (not shown), the bowlhaving a plurality of spaced apertures I2 therein in which are mountedller valves, generally designated I4.

A beverage to be supplied to the bottles I5 is maintained at apredetermined level I6 in the ller bowl by means of a float controlledvalve (not shown), the area above the liquid being subjected to counterpressure gas.

The valve I4 comprises a cage I3 having a closed cylindrical wall 2I3and an open top 2| thru which liquid enters the cage IB. The cage I8 isreceived in the aperture I2 in the bowl I9 and is maintained on ashoulder ZI in the opening I2 by a clamp 23 which presses upwardly toretain a valve seat 25 in the cage and simultaneously to retain the cageI8 in the aperture I2.

A liquid valve element 28 is mounted in the cage I8 and has a pluralityof wings 3B forming a spider which contact the cylindrical walls 20 ofthe cage to center and guide the valve element 28 accurately in itsvertical movement. The valve element 28 has a resilient seal 32 at itslower end which seats on the valve seat 25 to preventthe passage ofliquid thru the valve when the .valve is closed.

For further details of the seal 32 see the'copending application ofGeorge L. N. Meyer, Serial No. 623,240 filed October 19, 1945.

An annular horizontal ring 35 is secured at its inner periphery to thevalve element 25 and Aprojects outwardly to a point adjacent the insidewall of the cylindrical walls 20 ofthe cage I6. The ring or disc 35 thusextends between the cage I8 and the valve element 25. The space betweenouter edge of thev ring 35 and the inner cylindrical wall 20 of the cageI8 forms a long narrow passage or foramen 31 thru which liquid must passin going thru the valve.

A vent tube 38 is secured in the upper end of the valve element 28 andpasses upwardly thru the liquid in the bowl IB and into the gaseouscounterpressure gas above the liquid. The control of gas thru the venttube 38 is eiected by a gas control valve 4U which isv openedmechanically by means of a lever 42 actuated by a cam follower 43. Thevalve 4D is maintained open by a spring 44.

The vent tube 38 has an extension 45 which is secured to the bottom ofthe valve element 26 and communicates with the vent tube 38 thru anaperture 46 in the valve element 28. The vent tube extends downwardlyinto the bottle I5 for the passage of gas the outer surface of the tubeserving to guide the liquid downwardly and off a spreader element 41onto the inner surface of the bottle I5, thus preventing splashing andagitation of the beverage.

The vent stem 38 has a cylindrical guide plunger 50 fixed thereto whichoperates in a guide cylinder 5I supported from the top of the cage IB byarms 52. The cylinder 5I guides the upper end of the vent stem 38 sothat the entire valve element moves vertically.

A spring 56 is seated in a recessin the top of the valve cage and bearsagainst the bottom of the plunger 5S to constantly urge the liquid valveelement 2.8 .into open position, the valve remaining closed normallybypressure of the liquid and counter pressure gas.

The clampv23 is provided with a vertical cylindrical opening whichreceives` a rubber sealing ring 55. For further details of the rubbersealing ring see the co-pending application of Geo. L. N. Meyer, SerialNo. 762,931 filed July 23, 1947.

The modification of the invention shown n Figs. 4, 5 and 6 uses similarnumbers -to. designate parts identical to corresponding parts of theform of the invention shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and description of suchparts is omitted to eliminate undue duplication.

In the modification of the invention shownjin Figs. 4, 5 and 6 theannular ring 55 (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) is replaced by an annularcup `GD.'The cup 50 comprises an annular ring '62 (best seen in Figs. 4 and 5)secured at its inner periphery to the liquid valve element 28 andextending outwardly and terminating in an upstandingannular collar 63which lies closely adjacent the inner cylindrical wall 2U of the cageI8. Arcuate apertures 65 are provided for the passage of liquid pastthe'valve-element 218. The passages 65 are long and -narrow to formslits or foramens.

yInrother respects the `valve shown in Figs. 4, 5 andv is identical tothe valve shown Iin Figs. 1,

A2 -and 3.

Operation Inoperation,theiiller bowl .I isfilled .with a ,liquidbeverage until the level `of the liquidrises to the level I5, which is.well above Vthe level .of theliquid valve 28but below-the air valveAMl.The

`filling ymachine may then bestarted, lbottles I5 placed on the stirrups(not shown) vand raised intosealing engagementwith the sealing ring 55.When therneck of the -bottle I5 isin sealingengagement, a cam (notshown) .contacts .the cam follower .43 actuating the lever 42 to 4openthe Igas control valve .40 permitting `counterpressure gas toflowdownward ythru vthe vtubes 38 'and .45

and the-,passage 46 into .the bottle I5.

When thepressure Within the bottle .I 5 is substantially equal -to thepressure .downwardlyof the liquid, the spring 54 .overcomes the liquidpressure on the-valve 28 andraises that valve off its Aseat 32,.permitting `the beverage to flow downwardly .thru the valve cage I8,thru the .foramen 31 past :the valve 28 and is deected ofr theventtube45^by the spreader element.

As ythe beverage flows into ,the bottle .I5 `the counter-pressure gas inthe bottle escapes thru vthevent tubes-45 -and 38 and returns to the.top

must rstpass thru the narrow slitson Aforamens 31 or 65. The naturalsurface-tension across the foramen prevents the flow of liquid downwardatthis ytime and thus stops the filling action.

As the bottles I5 approach the unloading station the valves 28 and v4I)are both closed mechanically bythe cam follower v43 and excess gasin thetop ofthe bottle drawn off thru a snifter valve (not shown).

The bottle is then 4lowered ,out of Contact with the seal 55 andVtl'lebottle removed for capping.

.It will rbe realized that the hereinbefore described Aforms of Athe,invention are to be ktaken merely Vas preferred embodiments thereof,and that various changes'in size, shape and arrangement of parts may bemade without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope ofthe subjoined claims.

That which is claimed as new Vand is -desired to be secured by UnitedStates Letters Patent is:

1. A filler valve of the character described comprising, a cylindricalvalve cage, a liquid valve above the lower endof the valve when thevalve is inraised position, and an annular ring secured tothe peripheryof the valve and extending outwardly to a point adjacent the innerperiphery ofthe cage toform a -narrow'elongated passage 'for the liquid.

3. A filler valve adapted to control the ow of a'beverage thruan openingin a counter-pressure filler comprising, a valve seat `surrounding said.opening,.a valve element yseated-on said seat, a

foraminouselement 'fixed to and movable with said-valve and adapted tostop the flow of liquid ydownwardly'therethru upon-equalization ofpressure up and down at the valve.

v4. A iller valve adapted to control the ilow of a beverage thru anvopening in a counter-pressure filler comprising, a valve seatsurrounding said opening, a valve ,cage having 1a cylindrical ,innerWall. a Valve villgai'cl .cage adapted to 4seat `on vsaid valve seat toclosesaid opening va :cup shaped vmember xed concentrically to valveandhaving theupturned rim of -said cup closely adjacent said cylindricalwall, `the flat bottom of said cup having aforamen adapted to'preventthe passage of liquid ydownwardly vupon equalization of the pressuresupand down at the valve.

5. A iiller .valve adapted to control the flow of .beverage ,from acounter-pressure ller bowl to a container to .be .lled comprising, acylindrical valve cage, a liquid valve seatat the lower end of saidcage, and a disc mounted between said cage andsaid valve and providing aforarninous element for the passage of beverage between said valve ,cageand said valve.

6. A filler valve of the character described comprising, a cylindricalvalve cage having an open- `ing for the passage of liquid through thelower end-thereof, a valve seat surrounding said opening, a valvemounted Ain said valve cage, and a disc extending between the innersurface of said cage and-said valveabove said seat and providing aforamen for the passage of liquid through said valve cage and past saidvalve.

GEO. L. N. MEYER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references ,are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED ,STATES rPATENTS Number Name Date 529,355 vBlessing et al Nov.20, 1894 1,140,169 Ila-Porte May 18, 1915 FOREIGN PATENTS Number CountryDate 447,798 Germany July 29, 1927

